Cable or telegraph code.



M. L. SWEENEY.

CABLE 0R TELEGRAPH GODE.

APPLICATION FILED 030.20, 1008.

91 6,899. Patented Mgr. 30,1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

7K5. 754ML.

WMM. "Wufwf attorney M. L. SWEENEY.

CABLE OR TELBGRAPH CODE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 26, 190B.

9 l 6,899 Patented Mar. l30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

attuano vbe used in connection with my special code 'unire s'rris raras 'r cierren.

MQR'YIIMER L. SWEENEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TQ CHARLES TREAT, or NEW YORK, N. v.

CABLE OR TELEGRAPH CODE.

To all whom it may concern: f f Be it known that l, Monriiinn L. Swnnl NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing i at N ew York, in the county of New York and State of New `York, have invented certain i new and useful Improvements in Cable or Telegraph Codes, of which the following is a specification. l My invention relates to` an improved cable v or telegraph code, the primary object of which is to produce a code by which the tolls for the transmission of messages will be materially reduced. A further object of my invention is to en able any of the well known general codes to as supplementary thereto.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a code in which errors in trans mission ma usually be readily detected, thus ebv'iating thedelay caused by attempting to decipher a-message in which such errors have occurred. L

A further object of my invention is the provision of means by which the size of the code and the number of code Words used therein may be increased to a practically indefinite extent. y

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in forming a code made up from words-of three letters each, adapted to be joined together to form ronounceable words of six or nine letters. nder the present international rules of the cable and tele' graph companies any pronounceable word containing ten letters or less may be transmitted as a single Word. Consequently under my system it is possible to send three code words joinedtogether, for which the toll for but one word will b'e charged.

A further object of my invention is to enable rny code, which is particularly adapted Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 26, 1908.

to be used as a private code, and wherein the amount of information that can be transmitted thereunder is limited to the business for which it is designed, to be used in connection with any general code. T his laccomplish by adopting a series of single letters each designating certain general code and indicating that all matter following such single letter is of the code which the Single letter designates. rl his single letter is added at the end of the last word written in my private code, and does not increase the aggregate of letters in the word transmitted be- Patented. March 30, 1909.

Serial. No. 459,396.

-yond the permissible n umher. l preferably niorm the 'three letter' code words so that they each end in a consonant.,

`Referring to the drawings wherein l illustrate portions of pages of a code constructed according to my system Figures vl., 2 and 3 indicate three sections of my code; Fig. 4 is a portion' illustrating that part of my code showing single letters indicating general l codes; Fig. 5 illustrates a message written entirely in my code and the same deeiphered Fig. 6 a message written partly in my code y and supplemented hy the use of a general code; Figs. 7, 8 and. 9 indicate sections of my code showing three tables in which the code werds indicate different phrases; Fig. l() is a portion illustrating one form of indicators for Vindicating which table is to be consulted to translate the code message, and Fig. ll illustrates a message which has to be partly read in one table and partly in another.

ln Fig. 5 l have illustrated a message which will betransmitted as one word 'and which is formed from code words taken from each of Figs. l, 2 and 3, consequently the one word illustrated will convey all the in formation for which three words would ordinarily be required.

vln Fig. 6 l have shown a message composed of two words, the first word being formed off three code' words taken from my code to which is added the letter, indicating `that the `rest ai the message should be translated -bythe use of a certain general code and cannot be found in my code.

It will be understood that when a message of the character shown in Fie. 5 is received the receiver simply divides it into three letter code words, and upon looking each one up separately deciphers the entire message.I

Upon receiving a message as written, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the words are similarly divided into three letter words until a word is encountered containing four,'seven or ten letters. The firstportion of said latter word is divided into three lettei` words and the last ice letter' of this wordA indicates what gcneral code is to be consulted to decipher the remainder of the message.

While l prefer to have my three letter words terminate in a consonant, .as is indicated on the drawing, it is evident that this is not essential, but that all or part of the three letter. words ma terminate in vowels.

In Figs. 7 to 'l1 IslY iow my means for eX- pending the code to cover practically an in- .definite number of phrases, Y lt is to be noted f meanings as table Number 3, and so on. until all the phrases desired for the code have been given a three letter combination to indicate them. 'lo indicate which table is to be consulted in the translation of a message I ro- Vide indicators, sucli for-instance as ilustrated in Fig. 10, which will indicate that the portion of the message following` such indicator is to be read from one ot the tables. F or instance in the forni shown where the three letter combinations which make the body of the code end in consonants the table indicatin Words are shown as ending in a vowel. onsequently when a three letter combination, such as aba or adi or emo are encountered in translating a message, they indicate which of the three tables is to be consulted.

In the message shown in Fig. ll the vlirst Word should be read from table Number l, the second Word from table Number 2, and the third Word from table Number 3. lt is erases evident of course that instead of the three letter indicators for the tables a single letter, or two letters may be used. A single letter is preferable to two letters, for the reason that it will not add to the number of Words in the message and can be prefixed tol any nine letter code Word as has been described connection with the general code indicators. Without enumerating the equivalents and Without setting forth all the forms which my invention may takepvhat I claim as new and`-r desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Ai code which consists of a se three letter words each of which has`'is'wp'rel;I

determined meaning, said three letter Words' being adapted to be combined into a nine'y letter pronounceable vWord and transmitted as a single Word, and a series of single lettery code symbols which may be added to a Word formed by the combination of the `three leti' ter Words.

2. A code which consists of aupluralit` otv tables, each table comprising a series of t ree letter Words each of which 'has a predetermined meaniiig, said three letter-words being adapted to be combined in a nine letter pro nounceable Word and transmitted as a single Word, and indicators adapted to be use d with saidv three letter Words to indicate a par."

ticular table.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature u in presence of two witnesses.

, MORTIMER L. SWEENEY.

Witnesses FRANCIS M. PnELrs, li). G. WHITE. 

